The Rumour Mill of Bannerman Road
by Julie Ann Pope
Summary: Sarah Jane Smith had long since become accustomed to being the subject of rumour, especially since she'd holed herself up in a house in not-quite-suburban London.


Author's Note: This was originally written and published on LiveJournal on 8 August 2009. Due to the issues around the new LJ anti-LGBT terms and conditions, I'm uploading all content not previously published here and will be deleting my LJ account.

*

Jacqueline Harris at number 12 reckoned she saw Sarah Jane driving down the street with Gita Chandra in the passenger seat. After catching Rani Chandra at the paper shop and hearing that her mother gone to visit family, Jac's interest was piqued.

Malcolm Butler from number 26 spotted them at the tube station with a weekend case each. After speaking to Jac, he considered that they had looked a little more chummy than usual.

John Getts, who lived next door to the Chandras, thought that the odd-ball journalist was a lesbian anyway. A feminist who had lived as a young woman in the 60's and had, until recently, lived as a recluse - had to be didn't she? And Gita, well it had probably been one of those arranged marriages and she was a repressed one or something like that.

Stephen Oakes from number 19 confided in Jac that he'd seen them holding hands on the doorstep of Sarah Jane's house very late one evening last week. He recalled what an intimate gesture it seemed for two people who were supposedly only neighbours.

By the time Jac had got around to Shirley Green at number 4, the pair were carrying on a full blown secret love-affair and had slinked off together for a naughty weekend.

If either Sarah Jane or Gita noticed anything strange about their neighbours behaviour when they had got back from their respective weekends away, neither of them mentioned it. That was until Rani stormed into the attic one day after school.

"Is it true?" she demanded from her mentor.

"Excuse me? Is what true?" Sarah Jane continued to fiddle with the alien device she was tinkering with - teenage angst only needed one ear.

"You..." Sarah Jane suddenly looked up at her young friend.

"Well that could mean..."

"...and my Mum?"

"Gita? What about her?"

"The two of you...together."

"I don't have a clue as to what you're talking about."

"It makes sense you know, in a weird sort of way. And I wanted to be a journalist! This was sitting right under my nose the whole time!"

"Slow down Rani, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Two weeks ago when you went away for the weekend and Clyde's dad came here, Mum went away too." Rani hoped the implication in the tone of her voice would be enough for Sarah Jane to work it out.

"Go on." Rani sighed in exasperation, no such luck. It would have to be the direct approach.

"Are you having an affair with my Mum?" If Sarah Jane had been drinking a cup of tea at the time, she was sure it would have been spluttered all over the place by now. The older woman was gobsmacked.

"You are joking, right? Whatever gave you that impression?"

"All the neighbours are talking about it, and some of the kids at school."

"And you always listen to what they say? First rule of journalism Rani – never take gossip for the truth."

"So it's not true?"

"A coincidence, you knew I went away to deal with the Travispolon, you were there when Mr Smith alerted us to it. I've been the subject of a lot of gossip in this street Rani; you must have heard some of it before now?"

"Once or twice."

"Well then, you know me and what I do and does what you've heard even remotely come close to that?"

"Well, no."

"There you have it then. Neighbours always put two and two together and come up with ten."

"I'm so sorry Sarah Jane. I just didn't know what to think."

"No harm done Rani, just think before you jump to conclusions next time."

"I'd better go, I told Luke and Clyde I'd meet them in the park."

"Ok, see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, and I'm really sorry Sarah Jane."

*

As soon as Sarah Jane heard the front door close, she got out her mobile phone and pressed one of the presets.

"It's me, we've got a problem."

One day Sarah Jane would explain to Rani the second rule of journalism – always trust your instincts.


End file.
